- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many red deer stags have been recorded in each year since 1997.
Answer
Although Scottish National Heritage (SNH), and, formerly the Deer Commission for Scotland, do carry out deer counts in particular areas, there is no comprehensive national count of the red deer population. In carrying out counting it is also difficult to reliably identify male numbers.
The following table identifies the number of male red deer recorded as being killed through the statutory cull returns for each year between 1996 and 2010, inclusive. The statutory cull return does not represent all deer shot in Scotland, as SNH only request a return from occupiers of landholdings that are known to cull deer. However, the cull return does provide a good indicator of trends.
The figures for 2009 to 2010 are not yet complete and may be revised upwards.
| Year of Statutory Cull Return | Total Number of Male Red Deer Shot |
| 1996-97 | 20,268 |
| 1997-98 | 20,583 |
| 1998-99 | 24,830 |
| 1999-2000 | 24,293 |
| 2000-01 | 25,045 |
| 2001-02 | 22,960 |
| 2002-03 | 21,060 |
| 2003-04 | 23,761 |
| 2004-05 | 25,397 |
| 2005-06 | 30,346 |
| 2006-07 | 29,983 |
| 2007-08 | 29,584 |
| 2008-09 | 27,959 |
| 2009-10 | 22,634 |
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether dairy farmers might have had their property rights breached by the introduction of the Southern Isles ring-fence.
Answer
I refer the member to the four written submissions which the Scottish Government has submitted to the Parliament''s Public Petitions Committee and which are available on the Parliament''s website.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on dairy farmers in the Southern Isles ring-fence having given up milk production and are facing economic hardship.
Answer
I refer the member to the four written submissions which the Scottish Government has submitted to the Parliament''s Public Petitions Committee and which are available on the Parliament''s website.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what economic impact assessment was made before the introduction of the Southern Isles ring-fence for milk producers.
Answer
I refer the member to the four written submissions which the Scottish Government has submitted to the Parliament''s Public Petitions Committee and which are available on the Parliament''s website.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether Islay-based milk producers having been able to raise income to finance new business ventures as a result of having access to the national milk quota market and whether producers elsewhere in the Southern Isles ring-fence area might also benefit from having similar access.
Answer
Leasing or selling milk quota is one of a number options available to producers to raise additional income to finance new business ventures. The issue of whether producers in the Southern Isles ring-fence area might benefit from having similar access will be considered when the ring fence provisions are reviewed in 2012.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether it is in the interest of the wider community for some dairy farmers in the Southern Isles ring-fence to suffer financial hardship by giving up milk production.
Answer
I refer the member to the four written submissions which the Scottish Government has submitted to the Parliament''s Public Petitions Committee and which are available on the Parliament''s website.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made alternative options available to dairy farmers in the Southern Isles ring-fence who have given up milk production.
Answer
The Scottish Rural Development Programme offers a wide range of support options for farmers and land managers who diversify into other rural business activities.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 September 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on efforts to re-establish a ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.
Answer
We continue to work closely with Argyll and Bute Council and Moyle District Council on this matter.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 23 September 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage and promote the use of sheep's wool as building insulation material
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the use of sheep''s wool as an insulation product. However, in the interest of fairness, Scottish building regulations do not promote specific products.
We encourage innovative approaches to improving the energy performance of homes, which may include the use of sheep''s wool, through our £1.1 million Scottish Energy Efficiency Design Awards (EEDA) scheme. The winners of this year''s awards will be announced in due course.
For more information about the awards, please see:
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Scotland-Welcome-page/Business-and-Public-Sector-in-Scotland/Grants/Energy-Efficiency-Design-Awards.
- Asked by: Jamie McGrigor, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 September 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what cost savings will be achieved in each of the next three years as a result of the merger of the Deer Commission for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Answer
The estimated breakdown of cost savings as a result of the merger of the Deer Commission for Scotland (DCS) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is set out in the Financial Memorandum to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 which is available at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/26-PubSerRef/index.htm.
Scottish Government plans to lay before the Parliament a progress report detailing how DCS has been integrated into SNH and evaluating the success of the merger. This is in response to the Rural and Environment Committee''s recommendation arising from its scrutiny of the merger proposals in the Public Service Reform (Scotland) Bill. A report which will include an assessment of efficiency savings achieved as a result of the merger will be laid before the Parliament by 2012.
